Read Online Drew 17 - The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carolyn Keene
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know about them.”
Nancy asked, “Can you put all of them away at once without anyone seeing you?”
The officer smiled. “Indeed, I can. Rod will stuff his pockets with pouches, and I’ll stuff mine. Then we’ll go up to my quarters immediately.”
He turned to the locksmith. “Lou, you have been a wonderful help, and I know you’re happy to think that you’ve been able to uncover apparently smuggled gems.”
The locksmith smiled. “You know you can rely on me, sir.” He packed his tools, said good night, and left the cabin.
“What a nice man he is,” Nancy said. “And to think I was once suspicious of him.”
In a few minutes Captain Detweiler and the assistant purser also went off, their pockets bulging.
The girls put back the tray, piled the suits and work clothes into the mystery trunk, and locked it.
“Come on, Nelda, help me lift this into the wardrobe again,” Nancy said.
“Certainly.”
When the trunk was safely hidden, Nelda asked, “What are we going to do with this soaking wet flowered paper?”
In her haste to uncover the tray, Nancy had laid the sheets near the porthole window.
“They’ll have to dry before we can paste them back,” Nancy responded.
She looked around for a place to hide the paper and concluded that underneath the bed was the best spot. “I’ll replace them when they’re dried,” she said. The girl detective added that she hoped the paper would not wrinkle or shrink. If so, it would be a dead giveaway should the suspect locate the trunk and examine it.
“Then we’d really be in trouble,” Bess remarked.
“But nothing compared to the trouble the jewel thief will be in,” George predicted.
Nelda had a faraway look in her eyes. Nancy guessed that the words “jewel thieves” had brought painful memories to her. The accusation against her had never been cleared up.
“Oh, if only we could find that diamond bracelet,” Nancy thought.
The girls carefully slipped the paper under the bed to dry; then they put out the lights and went next door into their own cabin. Bess made sure all the doors were locked.
“I wonder what those gems are worth,” George said. “There were so many I didn’t even count them.”
“A fortune, no doubt,” Bess added. “I’d love to own just one or two of them!”
“It’s dreadfully late,” Nancy said with a yawn.
George nodded. “What an evening we’ve had,” she said.
“Yes, and you’re right out of the infirmary,” Bess remarked. “You were supposed to take it easy!”
George giggled. “We’d better get out of these costumes and get to bed.”
In the excitement all of them had forgotten that they were still in their strange-looking clothes.
“Wait!” Bess said. “I want to take a picture of each of you!” She dashed for her camera and inserted flash cubes.
“You can take one of me with my candle right in front of the bed,” George said. “It’s the perfect background!”
Bess did, then had the others pose for a photograph. When she was finished, Nancy took one of Bess.
“George, I dare you to send one of these mouse pictures to your friend Burt!” Bess teased her cousin.
George made a face. “I never want him to see me like that!”
“Why not? You won first prizel”
“Sure. For the funniest-looking creature on board. Hardly something you would want to advertise to your boyfriend.”
Finally the four girls climbed into bed. They had hardly closed their eyes, when the phone rang. Sleepily Nancy picked it up. “Hello?”
“Nancy?” a man’s voice answered. “This is Rod Havelock. Is your door locked safely from the inside?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” the assistant purser said. “On the way upstairs the captain and I were attacked by two masked men. One of them said, “We know Nancy Drew has put you up to something. What’s in your pockets?”
By this time Nancy was wide awake, and frightened. “Oh, Rod!” she exclaimed, “are you and the captain all right? And did the
Nancy asked, “Can you put all of them away at once without anyone seeing you?”
The officer smiled. “Indeed, I can. Rod will stuff his pockets with pouches, and I’ll stuff mine. Then we’ll go up to my quarters immediately.”
He turned to the locksmith. “Lou, you have been a wonderful help, and I know you’re happy to think that you’ve been able to uncover apparently smuggled gems.”
The locksmith smiled. “You know you can rely on me, sir.” He packed his tools, said good night, and left the cabin.
“What a nice man he is,” Nancy said. “And to think I was once suspicious of him.”
In a few minutes Captain Detweiler and the assistant purser also went off, their pockets bulging.
The girls put back the tray, piled the suits and work clothes into the mystery trunk, and locked it.
“Come on, Nelda, help me lift this into the wardrobe again,” Nancy said.
“Certainly.”
When the trunk was safely hidden, Nelda asked, “What are we going to do with this soaking wet flowered paper?”
In her haste to uncover the tray, Nancy had laid the sheets near the porthole window.
“They’ll have to dry before we can paste them back,” Nancy responded.
She looked around for a place to hide the paper and concluded that underneath the bed was the best spot. “I’ll replace them when they’re dried,” she said. The girl detective added that she hoped the paper would not wrinkle or shrink. If so, it would be a dead giveaway should the suspect locate the trunk and examine it.
“Then we’d really be in trouble,” Bess remarked.
“But nothing compared to the trouble the jewel thief will be in,” George predicted.
Nelda had a faraway look in her eyes. Nancy guessed that the words “jewel thieves” had brought painful memories to her. The accusation against her had never been cleared up.
“Oh, if only we could find that diamond bracelet,” Nancy thought.
The girls carefully slipped the paper under the bed to dry; then they put out the lights and went next door into their own cabin. Bess made sure all the doors were locked.
“I wonder what those gems are worth,” George said. “There were so many I didn’t even count them.”
“A fortune, no doubt,” Bess added. “I’d love to own just one or two of them!”
“It’s dreadfully late,” Nancy said with a yawn.
George nodded. “What an evening we’ve had,” she said.
“Yes, and you’re right out of the infirmary,” Bess remarked. “You were supposed to take it easy!”
George giggled. “We’d better get out of these costumes and get to bed.”
In the excitement all of them had forgotten that they were still in their strange-looking clothes.
“Wait!” Bess said. “I want to take a picture of each of you!” She dashed for her camera and inserted flash cubes.
“You can take one of me with my candle right in front of the bed,” George said. “It’s the perfect background!”
Bess did, then had the others pose for a photograph. When she was finished, Nancy took one of Bess.
“George, I dare you to send one of these mouse pictures to your friend Burt!” Bess teased her cousin.
George made a face. “I never want him to see me like that!”
“Why not? You won first prizel”
“Sure. For the funniest-looking creature on board. Hardly something you would want to advertise to your boyfriend.”
Finally the four girls climbed into bed. They had hardly closed their eyes, when the phone rang. Sleepily Nancy picked it up. “Hello?”
“Nancy?” a man’s voice answered. “This is Rod Havelock. Is your door locked safely from the inside?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” the assistant purser said. “On the way upstairs the captain and I were attacked by two masked men. One of them said, “We know Nancy Drew has put you up to something. What’s in your pockets?”
By this time Nancy was wide awake, and frightened. “Oh, Rod!” she exclaimed, “are you and the captain all right? And did the
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